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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 24712, member: 2262"] Young Monalisa Sibanda made waves at last week's Junior National Swimming Championships in Harare. The ten-year-old from Bulawayo won twelve medals at the Les Brown pool. Her wins came as four gold, six silver, and two bronze medals. She trains at the School of Swimming and looks up to past star Kirsty Coventry. "I want to break records. I will work hard to become the best," Sibanda told Zimpapers Sports Hub. Her best race saw her swim the 50m breaststroke in 42.97 seconds. She also won gold in the 100m free swim, 200m mixed race, and 200m team race. Her friend from the same club, Zayan Ngwenya, stood out in the boys' under-10 group. "Kirsty Coventry leads me. People say she won gold at the Olympics. I want to be like her," Sibanda said. Coventry is the only person from Zimbabwe to win gold in Olympic swimming. She earned three medals at the 2004 Games, including gold in the 200m back swim. She kept her crown in 2008, adding four silver and one bronze medal. Zimbabwe needs fresh stars since Coventry left the sport. Young swimmers like Mikayla Makwabarara, Donata Katai, and Paige van der Westhuizen bring hope. Katai made history as the first black swimmer from Zimbabwe at the 2020 Olympics. She did not win medals but opened doors. Coach Siobhan Kesson sees bright things ahead for Sibanda. "I taught Monalisa and Zayan, plus many others from our club. I feel proud of them," Kesson said. "Small swimmers want to be like them. They put in many hours. We ask them to eat well and rest well." Sibanda is in Grade Six at Whitestone Primary School in Bulawayo. She also makes trips to Harare to train with the School of Swimming Club. Her coach thinks her big wins at these games show she could become a star. [/QUOTE]

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